Machine for cleaning grain



v 2 Sheets--Sheet 1. J. R. REYNOLDS.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING GRAIN.

(No Model.)

Patented Sept. 11, 1883.

u. PETERS. PhubLilhogr-lphar, Wzlhininn, a. v.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

vPatented Sept. .11, 1883. Q

J.R..REYN0LDS.

MACHINE FOE CLEANING GRAIN- ,jlllllilllfllllllll II F% NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. REYNOLDS, JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOR CLEANING GRAlN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 284,672, dated September 11, 1883.

end of the wheat, which is accomplished by passing the wheat through a series of connected troughs and conveyers having spikes arranged between the flights of the conveyers, by which the wheat is abraded to such an extent as to detach adhering particles and scour off the brittle portions which adhere to the ends of the berries, commonly known as the fuzz, while the wheat is traversing the conveyor-troughs, which are perforated, so as to permit a current of air to rise through the troughs and through the wheat carried in the troughs to a suction fan. I also provide means for separating from the current of air, after it has passed above the wheat, heavy particles, which are dropped out of the current and collected.

In the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, Figure 1 is an end elevation, partly in section. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the machine, part of the case being represented as broken-away.

The same letters in both figures are used in the indication of the same parts.

The wheat is fed into the head of the upper conveyer through a pipe, A.- B is the upper conveyor, of which there are three in all, B, B, and B. These conveyers run in close boxes, which admit of a draft being applied thereto by the suction-fan. These conveyers are formed in the usual way, with central shafts and spiral flanges, the rotation of which carries the grain in the troughs O O 0 and have intermediately placed between the flanges a large number of spikes, set into the shafts and projecting out to about the same distance as the flanges.

'The conveyor-troughs O O G are concave,

I and are set up close to the edges of the spiral flanges, and they are also perforated with small holes, fine enough to permit the air to Application filed June 19, 1883. (No model.)

rise through them, but not large enough to permit the wheat to fall through. The grain fed in through the head of the upper conveyor travels along in the conveyer-trough C until it reaches the discharge end thereof, and then is poured through an opening onto the head of the conveyer B, such opening being placed at the end of the conveyer toward which the wheat is moved, and in such position asto discharge the grain upon the head of the next lower section of the conveyer. eled by the wheat is indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. Traversing the second conveyer, B, it falls in like manner onto the head of the lower conveyer, B and is carried along its trough until it reaches the spout D, where it is discharged. While this action is going on a current of air, put in motion by thesuctionfan E, is drawn through the conveyor-troughs and through the wheat carried thereon into the pipes F F F, opening out of the tops of the boxes which inclose the conveyers. In these pipes are placed vertical cant-boards G G G", against which grains of wheat or other heavy particles raised by the force of the current will strike, and, their movement being changed, will fall into the hoppers H H H", and thence into the pipes I I 1 which pipes are fitted with valves or slides K K K which may be opened from time to time to permit the heavy particles thus drawn out to bedeposited. These pipes F F F are connected The route travby the branch pipes L L L with the fan, so

that the dust carried off by the current will pass through the fan-case and be discharged through the mouth thereof, at E, into the dustroom of the mill, or out of doors.

Motion is communicated to, the conveyers by the driving-pulley M through the spurwhcels N N N N, beingthe driving spurattached to the shaft of the conveyer B, will cause the conveyers B and B to revolve in a direction opposite to that of the conveyer B. The force of the blast through the separate chambers is regulated by means of slides O 0 0 connected with the pipes F F F.

The conveyers, as described, are inclosed in casings having cant-boards P 1 F, by which any particles falling through the holes in the conveyer-troughs would be discharged outside of the case through openings in the case, through which air enters into the space below the perforated bottoms of the conveyertroughs.

I have represented the conveyor as divided into three sections. This will be understood to be merely for the purpose of shortening it. The whole conveyer may be continuous, or it may be divided into more or less sections, according to the length that is desired to give to the machinery.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1.- In combination with the fan and connecting-pipes, conveyers having spikes between their flanges, and perforated convey er-troughs, by means of which, while the wheat is being abraded by the spikes, the air rising through JOHN R. REYNOLDS.

Vitnesses:

E. K. DAUCHEY, JOHN F. RATZOLD. 

